The Adventures of Silverwind
by SilverStoryMaker11
Summary: Not really an explanation, just that there's an arctic fox.  And a walrus.  May seem a little weird, but interesting.  Story was re-published.
1. Chapters 1 to 50

Ch1

Here is a happy family. An arctic fox family. At least for a while. Here is a family with a short and tragic history. Here is a family living in a den with a fierce history. The den has the history of being a home for the White Tiger. And a horrible beast he was. Killing and eating what he can. The White Tiger.

The White Tiger was only away for a while. The father in the family was so proud of his newborn pups. So proud. He teaches his pups courage. All but one. Silverwind. That pup was a coward. He had tried and tried, and tried some more. But no luck. That pup was a coward.

One fateful day, the White Tiger came back. The arctic fox father tried to protect his pups. The pups he loved. Those pups. The pups tried to help him. The courage he had taught them stood out. The family stood up to the White Tiger. All but one. Silverwind ran as fast as his tiny legs could carry him. The father watched him go. He fought the White Tiger with gaining power as he saw, out of the corners of his eyes, the White Tiger, that evil tiger, eat his brave sons and daughters whole. Then, when all of his precious pups were gone, the White Tiger turned to him. He delivered a final blow to The White Tiger's eye that scarred it forever. And the last thing he saw, or felt, was the jaws of the White Tiger close around his neck.

His body dropped to the ice. The cold, preserving ice. This ice.

Ch2

The ice felt that fall. Felt that body fall onto it. The ice saw everything, sees everything. The ice. The cold and unforgiving ice. If the ice had its own language, it would talk about all the adventures and deaths, the families and fear. The ice.

It remembers. It remembers the seal and raven, their friendship and loyalty to each other so long ago. How the raven tried to migrate, but went too far. How the seal got lost and wandered to Antarctica. How they met and pledged devotion to each other. The ice. It remembers.

You might wonder how arctic foxes got to Antarctica. The ice remembers that too. The humans. The humans brought a bunch of arctic foxes to see how they would cope in a similar, yet different habitat. Then they left. The arctic foxes scattered and made families. The ice remembers.

If you could understand the whispering voices of the ice, the cold antarctic ice, it would tell you of the raven and the seal, and the humans and the White Tiger. But most of all, it would tell you about the wonderful transformation of a certain arctic fox pup. A fox that was a coward, separated from his family forever, but became a brave hero. The very fox treading on the Antarctic ice during a blizzard. The ice always remembers. Always.

Ch3

In the cold arctic, a lone figure treks through a fierce blizzard. It is a young arctic fox. One that does not know courage. He was born a coward. He is scared and misses his parents. His dead parents. The ones he loved. The parents that tried to give him courage. His father, his family. This arctic fox did not have the bravery to run away from the beast that had killed his family. This arctic fox is a coward.

The arctic fox collapses in a snow drift from exhaustion. His mind is spinning. How can he know where he is? He passed out from fear and cold. The sleep is very deep, deep enough that he will not wake until morning.

When he wakes he remembers something. His name. Silverwind. His name is Silverwind. He was lying in a warm den, like the one he used to sleep in with his parents. This was not where he fell asleep. Where was he? As he was looking around, an arctic fox he had never seen before came to him with a dead mouse and dropped it near his head. Silverwind decided it was safe. He was hungry, very hungry. He gulped it down. And who was that? He was scared, a coward. Where was he? The question repeated itself in his mind over and over. He tried to get up. He felt weak. Where was he? Silverwind fell back and collapsed into sleep again from exhaustion.

When Silverwind woke up, he felt better. He got up and walked slowly out of the den. He saw a dozen other dens clustered together. Two dozen arctic foxes were entering and leaving the different dens. One big den was in the middle of the cluster. Silverwind knew it was important somehow. An arctic fox came over and gave him a sorry look, then she walked to the center den. And he followed her for he recognized her as the one who gave him the mouse.

Ch4

As Silverwind approached the center den he heard a young arctic fox singing. He had never heard such singing. He fell into a trance and could not hear anything but the singing, the beautiful, flowing song. The song that reached out to him and called him near. This song.

_The__Arctic__is__a__cold__place__,_

_With__no__mercy__and__no__love__._

_But__to__survive__is__not__a__race__,_

_As__the__wind__takes__your__breath__._

_So__keep__your__heart__at__a__warm__pace__,_

_That__will__keep__you__alive__._

_Now__do__good__deeds__with__grace__,_

_And__don__'__t__forget__the__Arctic__._

A mile or two away, the White Tiger stirred in his sleep. He had been asleep for days after his recent meal. He dreamed of the song, that beautiful, flowing song. The song that would soon wake him and have him on the prowl. The prowl for the song. That song.

Ch5

As the song ended, Silverwind realized that he might be in trouble. Just the thought of it made him dizzy. He thought about the horrible creature that killed his family, how he had run away and not looked back. Silverwind had no courage. He could not fight. Not anyone. Never.

He was not sure about anything. Where was he? How did he get here? What will the other arctic foxes do to him? Silverwind hesitated. Maybe the singing arctic fox was as nice as her song. What will he do?

There were so many dens close together that Silverwind was not sure if he was going the right way. Where was he? But then he heard it again.

_But__to__survive__is__not__a__race__,_

_Just__try__your__best__in__the__cold__._

_And__keep__your__heart__at__a__warm__pace__,_

_That__will__keep__you__alive__._

The song lured him to a large den, and he was sure nothing bad was in there. Silverwind entered the den and saw a female arctic fox who was as white as a dove's wing. He knew her name just by looking at her. Here. Right here. Whitewing.

Ch6

All of time is connected. And time has never broken. The time for a new beginning is, at last, here. The dawn of the White Tiger has ended. His reign forever gone. And with dawn, comes dusk. And with dusk, comes dawn. The dusk of the White Tiger's empire. The dawn of a free life. A new beginning.

As most dreams come crashing down with sadness, a family long ago, frightened by the machines and people, was broken apart the same way. The White Tiger's family. That, simmering and boiling over, was what turned him away. Turned him evil. Dreams.

Now, he roams the Antarctic, searching for food. And he had, just a few days ago, a nice meal. A meal that put him to sleep for days. An arctic fox family. His dinner. Same thing.

A song. The one thing that could wake him early was a song. A song like the song that was just sung. He is waking. The song, that beautiful song. The White Tiger must find that song, that flowing, giving and reliving song. A prowl. A long awaited prowl for that song. A prowl. A song. Different things.

Ch7

The arctic fox named Whitewing was surprised. An arctic fox besides her understood her song! She could tell by the longing look in his eyes. She didn't think her song was any good. But here. Right here. Was someone who liked her song. Her unborn kits wiggled. She knew this fox was good. She knew it.

Here was an arctic fox who was not grouchy like most others, but gentle and shy. He walked right up to her and touched her nose as a greeting. Here was a good fox, a gentle fox. Whitewing liked him. And he liked her. In the cold, unforgiving antarctic, an arctic fox fell in love. In love with that gentle fox. That shy fox.

Whitewing was in love. In love with the one called Silverwind. Such a nice name, such a nice arctic fox. Here. Right here. Silverwind.

Ch8

The frozen Antarctic desert is cold and windy. Take a step and your footprint will be covered in snow. Look up and you can barely see the sky, only puzzle pieces, blocked by storm clouds filled with snow. It is hidden, this place, and so are its inhabitants.

Watch out for the seals and walruses, hidden under the ice. There are mountains of snow and ice, hidden in blizzards. Beware the cold, the arctic foxes fierce in their training, the abandoned animals like the White Tiger. Beware.

Nothing scares the White Tiger. Nothing. Not even death. He waits in large snow drifts for something, anything, to come by. Nothing scares the White Tiger. Nothing.

The antarctic is dangerous. Do not step into that horrid place. Do not let it gobble you up. Do not. Stay away from the antarctic. Beware.

Ch9

The White Tiger is merciless. He cares nothing for the penguins and the foxes and arctic rabbits he kills. He wants the walruses. The walrus is tasty with all that blubber and fat. Delicious. He wanted a walrus. He needed a walrus.

He looked at the ice. The cold, unforgiving ice. Did he see what he thought he saw? A walrus! And the biggest one in the world. He had to have that walrus. Had to.

But do not go under the ice. Do not go into the walrus's realm. You will die if you do. Do not go where there is no air. You will die if you do. Do not go under the ice. You will freeze if you do. Do not.

Ch10

A long time ago, the walrus that the White Tiger wanted was alive. Young and wise, was he. He has lived a thousand years. Lived beneath the ice. Lived with the ice. The walrus can watch through the ice. Watch with the ice. See the arctic foxes surviving through generations. They were not there long. Humans performing an experiment left them here. Those humans. The White Tiger's biggest meal. Same thing. The walrus remembers. He remembers the raven and the seal and their never ending friendship. They are still friends today. Even in death. The walrus remembers.

Ch11

It takes a long time for a walrus to age. He scarcely grows old. But he is always growing, century by century, foot by foot. No one keeps track. No one knows. But the penguins knew to beware the walrus. The walrus is said to be possibly vegetarian. But for this walrus, there is never enough. He devours prey in a flash of snow. Beware the walrus. But for this walrus, he tells those who ask what they asked for. Not many ask. Not many can ask. Any who do not ask get eaten. If the ice can stay here for a million years, why can't a walrus? Only the ice knew all the walrus' secrets. But the ice can only see and remember. It cannot warn others, or do really anything. But it can listen. Listen, see, and remember. Everything ice needs. Everything ice can need. It watches and remembers the arctic fox, Silverwind, as he begins a journey that will give him courage when he had none. The ice remembers Silverwind. It remembers.

Ch12

Give us an arctic fox, a fox bred for survival. For the cold. For courage. That's what Silverwind was. Although he had no courage, he was a good listener and gentle. Whitewing knew that these were good traits for a father. Someone to watch her pups when they were born. To take care of them in place of their real father who disappeared. Here was a good arctic fox. Silverwind. A father.

Silverwind became good friends with Whitewing, and before they realized how much time had passed, Whitewing's pups arrived in the world. One was normal white, but would not budge, even when his brother slammed into him after tripping. His brother was an unusual chocolaty brown and very energetic. Two pups, two parents. Perfect. A perfect family. Silverwind. Whitewing. Pups. Here. Right here.

Ch13

In another part of the antarctic, the ice is giving way. Part of the ice, that great ice, is getting gradually thinner. So thin it could give way at any moment. All the penguins and ancient animals shiver knowing that the walrus could break through the ice and wreak havoc once again.

"The walrus," they say, "The walrus is coming!"

And the walrus also knows the ice is giving way, but it is not thin enough to emerge. He waits patiently. Waits for the feast that is soon to come.

_Soon__my__time__will__come__,_ the walrus whispers. _Soon__!_

Ch14

The walrus has been trapped for two thousand years. But he is much older than that. Much. _La__morsa__._ That is what some humans would call him. Spanish. He is older than that. French. He is older than that, too. He is much older than the barren ice. Much older than anything in the antarctic. As old as Pangaea, when all the continents were united. Old. The walrus, la morsa, is old.

As the walrus waits for the ice to break, another terror is prowling. The White Tiger. The White Tiger prowls the antarctic eating whatever may come across his path. A tyrant. That is what he is. One of the worst tyrants on the face of the earth. The White Tiger.

The ice is giving. The ice knows it is weakening, and knows about the White Tiger. Knows his horrible deeds. The ice will break. But it will be for a good cause.

Ch15

In the cold, deep, dark cave that was and is his lair, the White Tiger remembers what he did that day. Ate twenty-one penguins, one arctic fox, and fifty fish. He likes the silvery fish and golden fish, not so much the minnows and parrot fish. Arctic foxes are the best food in the arctic, but are hard to get. Penguins are sort of in between, although a little salty. Arctic foxes are one of the few animals in the antarctic that are not so salty.

Beware.

Ch16

The pups. Whitewing needed to name them. They should be good names, not just any random name, and they should fit their character. The pups need names.

The first pup would not budge. Silverwind thought about a name to suit him. Budge, that was what his name should be. His brother was always saying that. Budge, the name hung in his mouth for a moment. A pup named budge.

The other pup was chocolate colored. Fudge colored. Fudge energizes you, and that's exactly what he was. Energized.

Fudge rolled around in the snow, trying on his new name. Budge would not budge, but smiled instead. Budge and Fudge. Silverwind and Whitewing. A family.

Ch17

There are messages. Most messages would be sent in an envelope, others on the internet. But the best kind of messages are said. Ice can only say messages to the snow and water. And if you could hear at least one of the messages the ice said, it would be about the seal, the raven, and the walrus. How the seal was a relative of the walrus and lived with him, but left and broke the walrus's heart to help his friend the raven. Those sad days. They turned into raged days as the walrus got enraged about how his relative had betrayed him. And to the walrus, the raven was a thief. He stole his only company, his only friend.

The walrus remembers those days, those tragic days. The days that ruined his life. But he knows that there is a price. There was, is, and will be a price. A price.

Ch18

To Budge and Fudge, the den had always been their world, their nation. They ofter wondered what was outside the den, but a rule their parents had put down kept them in the den. That wonderful nation where Silverwind and Whitewing always gave them water and food. They were never hungry or thirsty, and they played until they were so tired they collapsed in a heap. When they awoke, they would eat, drink, play, and sleep again. That was the cycle of their lives.

Budge liked the way life was for them, but Fudge wanted to see what was outside. Why they were not allowed to leave. Silverwind was usually gone, getting food and water. Whitewing stayed with them. Both pups wondered where their father went, and Fudge sometimes tried to follow him, but Whitewing would always catch him and keep him inside.

Silverwind was thinking about letting the pups out to play in the snow, but Whitewing always said, "Not yet" and would go back to watching Budge and Fudge. A family. What a family: an orphan father, a pure white mother, and two pups.

Ch19

Ice gives cold. And cold brings preserving. The ice in the antarctic brings the most ancient cold, the cold that can preserve forever. The antarctic ice has preserved the walrus. The ice has preserved the evil and revenge in the walrus. Preserved his cold heart. But ice brings cold, and as the walrus waited to emerge to the surface once again, his heart grew colder. Ice preserving, plots forming, he waits and remembers, remembers the seal, his relative whom he loved and cared for, and the raven that took him away to find their true home.

_Their__home__was__here__, _he thought, _why__didn__'__t__they__stay__?_

And that made him more angry and evil. The walrus was sad, an emotion he had never felt since the seal left with the raven. Being sad brings revenge, and revenge brings evil. The walrus, revenge coming, death waiting, remembers. Remembers what he did so long ago. And deep in his cold, solid prison, the walrus waits. Waits for revenge. Waits and remembers.

Ch20

The ice remembers the White Tiger. Remembers his bravery. It is very hard to remember because he had nearly none. The White Tiger only has enough courage to kill his prey. Scared and confused, he is all alone in the world. He does not know what to do. He is a coward filled with revenge. Revenge at the humans who had taken his parents and left him here. Here in the arctic, cold and unforgiving, all alone.

All the White Tiger can do is wait. Wait for the time he can take out his anger on those humans, the humans, expressionless and powerful, who left him alone in this world. He is waiting. Waiting to strike.

_There__is__a__price__,_ the walrus says in a voice that is almost a breath, _There__is__always__a__price__._

And the ice seems to reply back, _Yes__, __there__is__always__a__price__. _And the price is sometimes too high to pay. Too high to know. The price.

Ch21

Before a tiger becomes a tiger, he has to be a cub. The White Tiger was a cub when the humans took his parents and left him in the antarctic. All the cub could do was shiver and wait. Wait for his parents to return, but they never did. He got so hungry he ate a whole penguin. His thoughts turned dark, turned evil. His thoughts brought revenge, and revenge brought more dark thoughts. His mind had broken, broken into a hundred twisted pieces.

The White Tiger was young, as all other animals and creatures were at some time in their lives. The White Tiger had to catch that penguin. Catch it or die. The penguin slid to the edge of an icy cliff and almost jumped off. The White Tiger caught it before it could jump. He caught it before he, a mere cub, died. He ate the penguin, ate the warm meat.

In the cold of the antarctic, a cub's thoughts spawned revenge. That cub was the White Tiger, the evil, cold-hearted White Tiger.

_Revenge__, _that cub thought_, __Revenge__._

And under the ice, another broken mind thinks, _There__is__always__a__price__._

Ch22

There is nothing in the arctic that grows faster than pups. They have already grown out of their mother's milk. Silverwind must hunt for Budge and Fudge, hunt for arctic rabbits and hares on top of snowy mountains. An occasional treat of a small penguin might come across his path. But the pups are almost always hungry. A simple rabbit each does not satisfy their growing bellies.

_Soon__I__will__have__to__teach__them__to__hunt__._ But Silverwind had no courage to do so. _But__I__must__if__we__are__to__survive__!_

Silverwind and Whitewing both dreaded the day that Budge and Fudge will leave the safety of their den. Their den deep in the winding tunnels in a low mountain. The pups would be vulnerable to seals and walruses. But the White Tiger most of all. The pups could die the same way that Silverwind's father died, with their bodies thrown deep into the cold sea. Whitewing did not want that, and neither did Silverwind. They liked their home. Their home buried deep in the ice and snow. They wanted to keep a family together. Their family.

Ch23

Before arctic foxes are strong and fast, they have to be pups! For Budge to get scared, he has to be frightened, to be frightened he has to be attacked. To attack Budge, Fudge hid in the darkest corner of the darkest part of the dark den. To scare Budge, he hid and waited.

Quiet, so quiet. The excitement was almost too much to bear. Fudge waited for Budge to come by looking to play. He smelled Budge. He crouched low, to jump high, and pounced! Budge's hair sprang up. Then Budge sprang up. He came down and they wound up in a pile with Budge on top. Fudge tried to get up, to strike back, but couldn't for Budge wound not budge. Whitewing pulled them apart and Silverwind came back with food. Fudge sprang up, to get more food and to be first, and Budge beat him to the food.

Budge can be fast if he wants to. Fudge can't wait like Budge. For pups, life is perfect in the dark den, but that will soon change forever.

Ch24

The walrus hates humans. He hates the humans who tried to capture him like a common animal. He is not a common animal, he is too old and knowing. The walrus hates the humans who almost took his life to make candles and purses. He does not want to be separated from the place he had lived in his entire life. He does not.

The walrus remembers the day that the seal met him, remembers the day that seal said, "Father" and he looked down, surprised to see a seal with skin so white it looked silver. _Son__,_ he thought. And the seal and the walrus became close friends, so close it would hurt more than anything if they separated. But that was exactly what happened, and the walrus is still feeling that unbearable pain. His soul was still dying. With his soul, he too will die. Die of the terrible pain that infests him.

The ice knows. Knows that the walrus is dying. _Soon__we__will__be__free__again__._ It whispers in the wind. _Soon__!_

Ch25

Panting, hopping and barking, the seal swam to the walrus. And the walrus swam to the seal, sighing, smiling and remembering. The walrus remembers when he met the seal, to freshen his thoughts. The walrus also remembered the raven who took his friend, to find a good home. Under the ice, the walrus sought revenge. And the ice, above the water, remembered the day the seal met the walrus and the walrus met the seal. The walrus, revenge growing, wanted the seal. Tears trembling, the walrus hated the raven. The black raven, young and knowing, had taken the son he loved as his only friend. The white seal, shining and playful, was taken away from him. The walrus, with a short temper, grew mad and tried to take back the seal. The raven, who knew what was right, took the seal away into warm waters.

Ch26

There are no maps of the hidden passages in the antarctic. But skilled hunters like the White Tiger know all the hidden places and caves. He knows the secret cave that leads to thin ice where a walrus waits for the ice to break. Only the White Tiger knows of this secret cave, the cave where the biggest walrus sits in hiding. The White Tiger wants that walrus, wants the ton of meat. In the day, the cave is blocked by snow. In the night, the cave is hidden in the shadows. The White Tiger found this cave years ago, while he was a small cub. He had collapsed in the snow that was blocking the entrance and tumbled into the cave and rested there for a while.

The walrus knows of the tiger that comes to look at him with a hungry glare. The walrus knows he wants him, wants his meat. But that tiger will not get him, the walrus will get that tiger first. The White Tiger will be the walrus' first meal after being freed. The White Tiger is food.

Ch27

Whitewing always watches the pups, always keeps them safe. Whitewing plays with them and keeps them in the cave. The cave that is dark and cold, and safe. She sings to them every night. Every night she sings a beautiful lullaby.

_Hear__me__sing__,_

_Hear__me__here__._

_I__will__always__sing__,_

_So__nothing__'__s__to__fear__._

_Now__lay__down__and__sleep__,_

_For__I__will__always__be__,_

_Always__right__here__._

And the pups would fall asleep. Just like that. Then Silverwind would come home and the two would feast over the penguin Silverwind brought. The pups had everything they needed: A father to hunt for them, a home, and a mother who watched and cared for them.

Ch28

Pups need to learn how to hunt. Silverwind and Whitewing realized this. Silverwind found an arctic rabbit and trapped it in their cave. Budge knew what to do, chase the rabbit. Budge the panther, Budge the tiger, Budge the predator. And Fudge knew what to do, chase Budge. The rabbit saw them and sprang out of the way. Fudge came crashing into Budge. The pups were hopeless. Hopeless for hunting. Silverwind caught the rabbit quickly and they shared a small meal together.

Ch29

There are tigers. The bright orange Bengal tigers, the ancient Caspian tigers and Javan tigers. There are Malayan tigers and Sumatran tigers, the yellow Indochinese tigers and the broad Amoy tigers, but the most fierce tigers are the white tigers. They are rare but very powerful. The white tigers have steel jaws. Trap jaws. Beware the powerful jaws of the white tiger. Beware.

The White Tiger knows all the kinds of tigers, for he has met them. He has seen many trapped tigers. But he is alone here in the antarctic. Alone. And it is all the humans fault. He will get revenge, for revenge has overpowered him. Alone in the antarctic and wrapped in revenge.

Ch30

Do not mess with the big animals that wander into the cave. That was a rule. The pups had seen how the big animals are dangerous. The animal had ripped into Silverwind, giving him a scar. But Silverwind had killed that animal and thrown it out into the snow. That is a good rule.

Another rule is not to leave the cave. The pups were told that they were only safe inside the cave. Rules bear enchantment, and must be repeated. The pups knew this rule.

The walrus knew this as well.

The seal did not.

Ch31

It's a fact that pups are hard to raise. Budge and Fudge are no different. Do not go out of the cave, you will be safe in the cave. That was a rule. But it was a rule that sometimes got forgotten. While Budge and Whitewing was resting, Fudge crept into the open. The wonderfully white open. Outside the cave, that was where he was. Fudge liked the open, the soft snowy open, and wondered why he wasn't allowed to be out here.

Pups are made of these things: fur, bones, and curiosity. And what shone most at the moment was curiosity. And curiosity took over and dulled his senses. He did not realize the dangerous animal sitting by the cave, did not take notice.

Fudge had to tell Budge, tell him how wonderful the open snow was. Wouldn't his brother come with him? Wouldn't he like the outside too? Fudge ran, ran, ran... Straight into the waiting jaws of the White Tiger!

Ch32

Whitewing felt a shock rip through her. She woke and looked around, Silverwind stirred, Budge twitched in his sleep, and Fudge was gone. Wrong was everywhere. She saw her pup get snatched by a white tiger, the White Tiger. No, no, no! She did what any mother would do, raced out of the cave and chased the tiger. The White Tiger grabbed her, too, and raced away. No, no, no! Whitewing could see nothing but snow. Fudge cried and she licked him on the head.

A new sound, different from the crying of Fudge and the paws of the White Tiger, which were slowing down. A sound distantly familiar. Water! They were at the edge of the ice, and most possibly, their lives.

Ch33

Whitewing knew that the White Tiger would eat them. He set them down and guarded them. Whitewing looked long and hard at her son's face. Looked at the face she loved. She said to him, "I should have known better than to keep such a low guard." And the White Tiger got ready to pounce.

It is said that sometimes someone who is going to die can see into the near future, and Whitewing did just that. She gasped. "Whatever you may do, go back and tell Silverwind. Tell him to protect you. And let him know that I love him. Tell him that..." But she could not finish. The White Tiger had struck.

Ch34

Fudge had promised, promised to return, promised to stay safe. And as soon as he did, his mother disappeared with a final choked word, "Escape." And he did. He ran and ran and ran, his paws pumping harder than ever before. His mother's last word rang in his head, "Escape." It went over and over, repeating itself in his head. His running had apparently surprised the White Tiger and he did not follow. Fudge could not keep back the tears, for his mother was dead. Eaten by an evil beast, the beast that he had promised to stay safe from. Sadness hung in the air, almost stopping time itself. Sadness. The dreaded and terrible sadness.

Ch35

As the White Tiger's jaws closed around her, Whitewing caught a glimpse of her pup, Fudge, running away for his life. Time seemed to freeze. She knew she should not have put such big responsibility on such a small pup. Although he is an arctic fox, he might die of cold. A silver bird hovered above her. A silver hummingbird was bringing her away. Taking her from the world she once knew. Whitewing felt a pang of regret as she saw the whole world around her, Fudge running in the wrong direction, Silverwind and Budge waiting for her and Fudge, and herself in the jaws of the White Tiger.

She could not bear to look at her own dead body. Nor the trouble she had cast her family into. She wished she could warn them about that trouble, the trouble that could be fatal. But she knew she could not go back, and the silver hummingbird said, "Come, it is time."

As she flew farther and farther from the world she once knew, she did not hear the crying of Fudge, or the White Tiger crunching her bones. Just the whispery wings of the silver hummingbird.

Ch36

The ice keeps the legends. The legends of faraway lands, of actual warmth. But the ice knows the one about the silver hummingbird. Some say the hummingbird can travel between the world of the dead and the world of the living. Such feats require great speeds beyond our seeing. Aren't hummingbirds fast and hard to see? Some call her an "intermediary" and that is a good term. Others call her a messenger, and that is the right term, too. Some call her Silver Bird, but that has nothing to do with her purpose but the way her wings glow and sparkle. But most don't even know of the hummingbird, and therefore don't need her.

The hummingbird has been looking for someone for a long time. Looking for someone to give the message to. The message of peace.

Ch37

The White Tiger was not the first tiger to live in the antarctic, nor will he be the last. In this barren wasteland of ice and snow, the Tribe had once lived. A tribe of tigers, white and orange and red, had lived peacefully. Helping each other and sharing caves and food, but there was hunting. The dark act of hunting and killing. The Tribe had to kill and eat to survive, but they were resourceful. They always left just enough to reproduce and keep alive. But, all in all, the Tribe was friendly, and the White Tiger is not.

What could a tired arctic fox pup see in a cold, harsh blizzard? All Fudge could see was a silver hummingbird, nothing else. Nothing more. And only a few feet under the ice, the walrus stirred.

"There is a price. There always must be a price." It whispered, "Always."

Ch38

Legs weak and raw from waiting, Silverwind collapsed. He was waiting for Fudge and Whitewing to come back, but they never did. He had waited there for what seemed like an eternity. Budge rushed to his side, whining and whimpering, and helped him try to stand. But Silverwind was too weak. He remained there, lying in the snow, mourning for his loss.

The ice has a word, evil. That word describes what a creature that kills for sport and just to wreak havoc is. Evil. That word hung on the wind, flowing in and out of the animals of the antarctic. All but the White Tiger, for his mind was blocked, sealed by a cold heart, his heart. When he ate the small female arctic fox, he had no mercy, he even thought it was fun! His cold heart had taken over, controlling him without a mind.

As Silverwind fell asleep on the snow outside the cave, he could not cry, but tears flowed steadily down his face. Budge licked the salty tears and lay by his side. Silverwind fell asleep quickly and the tears stopped falling. Budge would not budge from his fathers side. Never.

Ch39

As Silverwind slept, Budge wished that his mother and brother would come home, wished that once again he would have a family. As he watched his father's chest rise and fall painfully, he knew that he needed help. Why doesn't Whitewing come back? Why did she leave them alone? As the questions were repeated in his mind over and over, the answer became clear. Something must have happened. Where was his little brother? He needed to find out. Budge became more and more hungry as the night passed. He needed food. His father would be hungry as well. He would have to hunt for him and his father.

But not yet. But not until morning.

Ch40

Water is not the only element that offers up the biggest beasts that could live. There are also the great beasts of the air. They are not so large, but powerful and majestic. The walrus, who swam the ancient seas, should have known this. If he had understood the whispery language of the ice, the cold and knowing ice, they would have shared the story.

Here, it would say, in the long ago land, was a young raven, his feathers the darkest of any bird under the moon, his eyes blue with spots of red. See him catch the morning air, the cold, whispery currents that could carry him away, see him rest in the tall pines and chestnuts in the forest where he was. This great expanse of ice was knew to him, for he had traveled far, far away from his forest home. Here he was, here to make a home in the antarctic.

Almost every night the raven listened to the songs of the Tribe, listened to the rhythmic howls. He stretches out his wings and cries "_Screee__!"_ But one night is altered, changed, and he doesn't hear the wild Tribe that night, instead he hears something else, a strange barking. Like the barking of dogs he once knew, but different. He listened. There it was again. He knew at once that the barks had the ringing of not belonging. Whatever was making the barking did not belong here and needed help, and the raven decided to help it. Night after night he listened to the song, trying to find the source of the barking.

The walrus should have known about the raven. Should have known about him.

Ch41

While Fudge rested in a small cave, he listened. Listened for his mom. Listened for Silverwind. What he heard was: a trickle of icy water in the back of the cave, the wind of the blizzard outside, and nothing more. No mother, no father. Just water and wind. All there was left to do was sleep. And sleep was what Fudge did.

While in sleep, time can change. It either goes faster or slower. Fudge slept with time so slow it was almost frozen. His whole life flew by in his mind, the good and the bad, the boring and the exciting. He went through a rapid change, knowing more about what he has done, knowing that it was him who had caused the death of his mother, him who has done this. He would not forget what he had done. Never.

Ch42

The raven, wrapping its wings to keep warm, finally became drawn to the sound, pulled by the strangeness and longing. Many might have heard wind or water, but the raven knew what he heard. He flew off over the ice and water. He flew down onto the top of the walrus' cave and waited. Waited and listened. On and off, on and off went the barking.

The wind seemed to whisper, _Fly__away__, __fly__away__and__beware__the__danger__!_ But the raven did not listen. Wings fluttering, wind whipping, he flew down into the cave to find the creature that was making that interesting noise. The raven, a scavenger, knew how to get through the narrow cave. He relaxed at the entrance to the main cavern and waited once more. Waiting.

Ch43

With his ancient father, the seal learned the mysteries of the antarctic. The walrus taught him where to catch the best fish and the juiciest penguins. He taught him the secret caves covered in snow and the deep hiding holes underwater. No one knew the antarctic better than the walrus, no one. And no one told stories like the walrus, either. He told the seal stories of the green forests with the warm rivers and streams, of the hot deserts with scarce streams, and of the icy mountains with cold lakes.

No son was more beloved to the walrus, they were inseparable. Where the seal went, the walrus was sure to follow. And where the walrus went, the seal was always near. But as the seal grew older, he realized that he did not belong there in the cold antarctic. He belonged in warm waters. Something just told him to leave, but he did not know how.

Ch44

We are all connected deep inside. Connected with a strong, unbreakable string. The string of life. The seal, while he felt the blood of his powerful father who he loved mightily, when he looked up at the raven, that black and blue-eyed raven, he felt the blood of parrots and finches and crows and ravens. He felt the sensation of flying in warm currents and soaking in warm seas. It was this sensation that made him slip out of the cave where the walrus slept and onto the ledge where the raven waited.

The moment their eyes met, a great understanding passed between them. They knew they needed to travel to a warmer climate together. They knew this was their destiny. They understood what to do. This knowing overcame the seal's old love for the walrus. The raven understood what was right, and that understanding coursed through their veins.

The ice recognized the feeling, the feeling of knowing. And the ice did what it could to keep the feeling close. The ice lulled the walrus into a deeper sleep with their whispery magic. The feeling was preserved.

Ch45

For a pup who has lost his mother, he needs to recover. Fudge remembered the White Tiger with his snapping jaws and huge body. Here, by the edge of the tear-filled sea, a pup rested and grieved for his lost mother.

"Where is my mother?" he cried to no one with his last conscious breath as he slipped into a deep sleep, the sleep of sorrow, the deeper sleep of loss. Missing. Missing can happen to all of us, and missing can take us away. Fudge's mother was missing, and the walrus's son was missing. In his dreams his mother came back to him for a mere moment.

"Why did you leave me" she seemed to ask. "Where are you?"

"I didn't leave you, you left me!" Fudge said with both sorrow and anger.

"You must go back, go back to your family and tell them what happened. Go, and protect your family," And with that she faded away, leaving the feeling of sadness behind.

Missing is everywhere, and even as he slept, Fudge's mind was clouded with missing. Missing was sucking him away, taking him to where his mother now lay in another world. Fudge was almost gone, almost dead with his mother.

But he came back. He resisted, and came back. "Mother!" he cried. Missing was still there.

Ch46

The ice, dry and cold, knows about sorrow. Sorrow is something that sifts in the mind, something that bubbles and grows, something that can eat away at you like missing. The ice had sorrow for the poor, gentle animals that died out, never to be seen again. The mammoth was the gentlest of all, and sorrow filled the antarctic as those mammoths died away. Sorrow was in the mind of the walrus as he found that the seal was gone. Sorrow and anger replaced all that the walrus was. This sorrow drove all the happiness and love out of him and anger kept the only the evil thoughts like revenge. All the walrus was, all the walrus is, is sorrow. Sorrow brought anger, and anger brought revenge. And as the sorrow grew, the anger did too. This anger drove him to evil, drove him to destruction. He destroyed the ice and ate all the arctic hares. He thrashed about in his sorrow and anger. Thoughts turned real, feelings turned dark. Dark with evil and revenge and hopelessness. So dark it twisted him, twisted his thoughts and his actions. He only did evil, and he could not stay still. All that darkness ensured that there was no hope for the walrus's love, no hope for the goodness was.

Like the White Tiger, so fierce and strong, revenge overpowered the walrus right to wrong. The walrus was no longer gentle and careful, and he began to plot how to get his son the seal back in his grasp. Anger replaced the happiness, and sorrow replaced everything else. There was no hope for the walrus now. None. There was only sorrow and anger and revenge and destruction.

Ch47

Fudge knew. He knew that he should have protected his mother. "Why didn't I save her?" he thought in despair, "It should have been me in those jaws of death!" He could not sleep for fear that the White Tiger would come back to find him, and both him and his mother would be lost. Fudge wished he could be back home in his cosy den sleeping, this whole event never existing. "It was my fault! My curiosity caused this!" he thought with great pain. His stomach turned icy cold as he thought, "I let this happen. I killed my own mother." Sorrow overcame him and he whimpered and wept. His crying eventually lulled him to sleep.

Meanwhile, the walrus brews in his cold cave, frozen in ice. "A price. There is always a price!" he thought with great remorse, "Always!"

Ch48

Budge was the witness. He saw his brother creep into the light and out if the cave. He saw how his brother loved it out there. He almost went out with him, but as he got up, he saw his mother running up and trying to drag him away. The White Tiger snatched them both up, and legend repeated itself. Legends of fierce, scary beasts stealing away the poor animals of the antarctic.

He was there to witness his father howling and crying for his mother. He saw how desperate his father was, and he saw how horrible the situation was. He lived to his name and did not budge from his father's side until he wearily walked into the cave. His mother and brother were gone, and that was a fact. He had to face it. There was no other way to survive.

Ch49

Memory is a troublesome thing. It stays with you forever, but you remember the bad things over the good things. Fudge was dealing with memory at that moment. He was far from home and he only remembered the things that had happened recently, and all were bad. His belly rumbled like a tremor breaking the earth. He had not eaten for days. This was too much for him, he would have to find something to eat. But he did not know how to hunt. The rabbits and animals that his father had brought were for prey, weren't they? Budge had known they were for hunting. Budge knew how to hunt, he did not. How would he survive here? He turned over, trying to block out the hunger with sleep. He would think about it in the morning.

Ch50

In the memory of the ice, will you find the meeting of the seal and the raven a thousand years ago? Yes. You will find how the two traveled away for so long, traveling to the north. They knew by instinct the way to go. They flew and swam for days on end. They traveled 'till they were too weak to carry on. They rested. They found a nice island and thought they might stay. They knew they should keep moving, but they stayed to rest for a while.

Ask the ice and it will tell you about homes. Ask the small glacier how it offered up a small cave for a starving pup. It will tell you how it broke away, a few feet from the water, and how it offered up a floating home for an unfortunate pup.


	2. Chapters 51 to the Epilogue

Ch51

There was happiness on the little island in the middle of the ocean. The raven and the seal found friends, and with those friends on that little island. The world was anew with their friends showing them the many different things about survival, and some fun along the way. The raven knew about the North Star, but the seal did not. So he found out. The seal was learning so much and having so much fun, that he nearly forgot about the walrus.

_He__can__deal__with__life__his__own__way__, __but__I__want__to__do__it__my__way__._ He thought to himself one night. The island was wonderful, but they had to leave eventually. One friend, a small robin, decided to leave the island behind and come with the seal and the raven. It told them that the cold season was almost here and that he needed to get to warmth anyways. On the journey, the robin became much closer friends with the seal and raven. They traveled with friendship and happiness leading the way.

Ch52

The seal and raven and robin were accepted into a warm land, a nice land, and they stayed. They vowed to stay and never leave this beautiful island until death. The island was populated with other birds and, surprisingly, other seals! They would enjoy this new life very much. Maybe a little too much.

Back in the Antarctic, the walrus waited, waited patiently for the seal to come back. But he never did. The seal had forgotten the walrus, forgotten the good times and wonderful stories. But still the walrus waited.

The Tribe, the tribe of tigers, froze their dead in the ice and marked that ice with the sign of goodwill, an eagle. They did this to all those tigers who were good to the tribe. But for those who weren't? Their ice that encased them bore the mark of evil, a penguin's skull. On, and in, the ice that covered the walrus a thousand years later, you would not find an eagle, nor a penguin's skull. That ice bore the mark of hatred and anger, a crude X, scratched with long claws of a truly strong and wise tiger, the leader of the Tribe.

Ch53

If it weren't for Silverwind, Budge would have left. He would have left to hunt for him and his father, but he didn't. Silverwind, weary and tired, needed Budge. Silverwind did not look himself. He looked old and sad, and that was what he was. Budge feared that if he didn't do something, his father would wither away in sadness and loss. But what should he do? All he could do was wait, wait patiently for his brother. He knew his mother would never come back, but maybe Fudge was looking for them right now. Maybe he was lost in the cold antarctic. Oh, what should he do?

In his dreams, Budge saw horrible visions of his mother's motionless body lying in the snow, being eaten by other animals. Whitewing's body moved suddenly, and she let out a final wail. The terrible deafening wail of death. Then he saw Fudge mourning far away. Fudge was lost and scared, and he thought that his life could not get worse. Budge wanted to comfort his brother, but it was too much to bear. He woke in an instant. He had to do something. But what?

Ch54

The White Tiger had dreams, too. He saw his parents as they were taken away from him. He saw himself being thrown out into the cold. Those creatures were evil, and they turned him evil. The sorrow he had was replaced by anger and destruction. And nothing good can come from those.

When the White Tiger awoke, he thought about the walrus that is hidden in the ice. The White Tiger was in the cave that held the ice that bore that huge walrus. He looked at it in longing. Soon he would get that walrus. Very soon. But now he needed food.

The White Tiger came back from hunting with two penguins and three arctic hares. He stared at the frozen walrus as he tore into his over-sized meal. The ice was breaking, and he knew it would start here. Soon the walrus would be his.

Ch55

Fudge, a coward. Fudge was a coward. He tried to be brave by venturing out to the snow. He always tried to have energy when he was tired. He tried to be better than his brother. Nothing worked. He was, is, and always will be, dare he say it, a coward. Poor Fudge, all alone in the antarctic. Why was he here, anyways? It was him. It was his fault he was stuck.

Fudge walked out of his den that morning knowing more than ever, but mostly knowing what he did and that he couldn't change it. His mother was dead, and he knew it. In fact, he was the only one who knew it. Oh, where was his family? Why wasn't his mother there next to him to comfort him? As Fudge cried himself to sleep, he thought about his family. His father, Silverwind, and his brother, Budge. That was all he had left. Poor Fudge.

Ch56

A thousand years before, before the walrus was frozen in the ice, before the time of Silverwind and Whitewing, was the ice. The ice was there forever, and its memory continues forever. The ice knows when and how the walrus tried to find and take back the seal. Let the ice tell you the story.

The walrus thought, _It__'__s__time__._ and set off through the rough seas to find the seal. The raven will pay for his crime. But it wasn't a crime, it was common sense. The walrus did not know this. To him, it was evil. And evil brings more evil. He needed to do this, he must. He found the island where they had stayed for a while. He killed all of the birds there except one, who flew away to warn the seal and raven. The walrus did not know of this bird, and when he was done with his killing, he set out again, determined to find them. And that is only part of what the ice has to share.

Ch57

How can a pup keep promises while lonely and hungry? He can't. Fudge had not eaten anything after leaving his home. He needed food soon. He had watched his brother quietly creep up on the animals their parents had brought. He caught them like it was real. It was real, wasn't it? He crept out of his makeshift den and tried to find the trace of any scent that could mean food. He found a small white rabbit sleeping in a small hole. He tried to replicate his brother's moves, crouching low to the ground and slowly creeping up on the rabbit. He pounced! The little white rabbit wasn't sleeping at all, it was already dead! He was glad that he got this meal, but he feared that there must be another predator nearby. He had tried to howl for help many times, but he couldn't make any sound. He was too weary and tired and weak to howl. As he devoured this meal hungrily, he thought that he should try again afterward. He could imagine the wonderful sound that would come out.

_Oooooooooooo__!_

Ch58

Back a thousand years ago, the raven and the seal and the robin were living peacefully on the little island that they called home. They worked together to make shapes with plants, beautiful shapes that looked just like the real thing, and this time they did a seal. They did an almost exact copy of the seal, but it looked much like the walrus. The seal felt a sharp pang of regret and sadness at the remembrance of the walrus. The robin said, "It's beautiful, and wonderful."

And the seal agreed, "Yes, the walrus is wonderful."

But how would they know that even now, while they admire their work, that the walrus is coming. Coming to take back his son, the seal. The shape was like a prophesy, trying to warn them of the coming danger.

_Soooon__! _the walrus whispers _I__will__have__what__should__be__mine__!_

Ch59

It kept coming. The hunger kept arising from within him. Fudge found more rabbits and small animals in little holes like the first one, so his stomach was always full. He kept traveling across the frozen desert, looking for his family, and he found a nice place to settle for a few days. Fudge still hasn't found any trace of his dear family, but he kept moving with determination. How hard could it be? For him, it was very hard.

Every night in that small, frozen cave he tried again to howl, trying harder every time. He needed the ability to howl to find his family. Suddenly, just as if a lightning bolt had struck, he howled! He let the sound flow on the wind, heading hopefully to his father and brother waiting at home, which he never should have left. The sound was loud, but amazing.

_Aaaaoooooooooo__!_

Ch60

Loneliness is everywhere. Back a thousand years ago, the seal was lonely when he was not with the walrus. Now, he has the raven and the robin to keep him company. But he was still lonely. He longed for the walrus, but tried to hide it and push it away, but it always comes back, that longing. Always. The figure of leaves and branches is a reminder that the walrus is still out there, even more lonely than him, all alone like when the seal had found him. The loneliness was creeping into everything, changing many animals lives. Even the ice, who lives a long life, is lonely. The ice wants to tell the many stories it has remembered, but it is all alone.

Even now, an arctic fox pup by the name of Fudge, is lonely for his lost family. And his father, Silverwind, is lonely for Whitewing, who was ever so gentle and loving, who let him into her family when he had none, and for Fudge, his lost pup. And now you see, loneliness is everywhere.

Ch61

In the dark, comfortable cave where Whitewing used to dwell, Silverwind stirred. He woke from his long sleep and looked down at Budge's sleeping figure. He adored this pup. He loved the way he would not budge when he didn't need to move. Just like his name. Fudge's meant nothing as far as he knew. But then, in stories, fudge gave you energy and whoever ate it would have too much energy for a while. Fudge was very energetic. It seemed like he has the effects that real fudge would give him. Maybe his name meant something after all! But thinking about fudge made him think about Fudge. Silverwind missed Fudge and Whitewing. What had happened to them?

And far away, sleeping in a small cave that had a frozen creature that he had never seen before, Fudge was thinking the same thing as Silverwind, _What__has__happened__to__my__family__, __where__are__they__?_ And both Fudge and Silverwind settled down to sleep in places far away from each other.

Ch62

The White Tiger once was happy, a long long time ago. He had parents and a family, and he was always happy then. He found a new emotion, fear, when his family was taken away from him. Then came yet another new emotion, but this one would stay with him for a lifetime, anger. The White Tiger had learned to hunt on his own, and once he learned, he mastered hunting. Tearing down animal after animal after animal with a cold, dark heart. His anger drove him to do horrible things. He is now the most feared animal in Antarctica since the walrus. The White Tiger saw the walrus frozen in his cave, and he knew that the walrus was there for a reason. And he also knew that the walrus was still alive.

Heed this warning all who face him. Do not stare into the jaws of the White Tiger. Do not.

Ch63

The island that had harbored the seal a thousand years ago is no longer here now. It sunk, just like the walrus' heart sunk when he found the seal missing. The walrus had swam faster than a shark, looking for his lost son. The seal's natural urge to move to warm waters and the raven's friendship had made him forget about the walrus. The seal still remembered the walrus and had a special place in his heart for him, but the walrus did not know.

The robin asked about the walrus, and the seal answered. He and the raven told wonderful stories of the walrus being the one unbeatable animal in the antarctic, and the seal retold the many stories that the walrus had told him. The stories of wolves and coyotes, and roosters and turkey, and of the wild dogs that roamed the land. The tales of ice that can't melt, and land that sinks and then rises again, and of tall mountains that would take a lifetime to climb. Oh, the stories! Yes, the walrus was still remembered. But he did not know about it.

Ch64

In the middle of the night, as the seal woke to stare again at the mighty figure on the walrus they made out of leaves and branches, the walrus neared the beach of the nice little island where the seal lived happily. The walrus was finally going to get his son back! He had been patient for twenty years, waiting for his son to return to him. He could not stand any more waiting, he was done being patient. He would get his son back, no matter how much force it would take! The walrus saw the seal looking at a figure of branches and leaves that looked much like the walrus himself.

_Maybe__he__hasn__'__t__forgotten__me__? _The walrus thought.

But the walrus needed to have the seal with him again. He would not let the dreadful loneliness seep over him again. The seal must come.

Ch65

Patterns are everywhere. The moon has a pattern, and so does the sun. Everything has a pattern. And Fudge's pattern was one of the most basic. In the morning, he would come out of the little cave and stretch his achy limbs. Then he would walk out and try to find food, but only sometimes he found any. He would go down to the ocean and take a drink of all he could, salt water. He would curl up right there by the ocean and smell the ocean breeze and let the sun soak into his soft, brown fur. He would lie there until nightfall, then crawl up to his cozy den and sleep.

It was a very simple pattern, but it was life. Fudge often got bored of this pattern, but it was otherwise comforting to have a nice pattern like this. And as Fudge looked up to the stars as if asking for directions, he settles down to sleep happily.

Ch66

Loneliness changes things. Loneliness changed the walrus from a peaceful creature into something of destruction and anger. The walrus silently crept up to the seal and spoke softly in a mesmerizing tone.

_Come__to__me__my__son__,_

_Come__with__me__to__our__home_

_On__the__wonderful__ice__._

_Come__to__me__, __come__my__son__._

_Come__with__me__._

The seal turned around as if in a trance. The seal and the walrus left silently toward the water. The seal had left without a thought.

Ch67

Fudge often saw the small hummingbird just outside his cave, for now he thought of it as his. One moment the hummingbird was here in front of him, the next she was gone. Fudge knew there was something magical about this tiny animal, he knew she had some kind of power to be able to appear and disappear. He knew not of how he would ever meet the hummingbird, but he knew he would eventually. He knew that the hummingbird meant something. Fudge went along his daily duties, but he kept thinking about the hummingbird every day after he first saw her.

If Fudge had known that his cave was occupied by the walrus, he would not want to live there. The White Tiger was on a hunting spree, and he had covered up the clear ice with snow so that no other hunters would find it. But the White Tiger did not know of the small antarctic fox cub sleeping in his den. That cub did not know either, and the White Tiger was coming home.

Ch68

Back a thousand years ago, the raven woke at the moment the seal left the island. He saw the robin sleeping not far off, but when he saw the empty place where the seal should be sleeping, he held back a call.

_He__is__probably__getting__a__drink__at__the__stream__._ the raven thought. And he waited for the seal to come back. But after many hours had passed, the raven grew restless and knew something must have happened. He called to the sky for the seal to come back. The raven flew to the ocean and called again.

If you ever saw a bird crying, it was a sorry sight. And cry the raven did. He cried into the night, calling for his best friend to come back. And somewhere else, the seal was crying as well. He could hear the raven's cries, but he could not answer them. This was a very sorry sight indeed.

Ch69

The robin woke with the feeling of missing and wrong. He could not find nor hear the seal or raven. Loneliness was on its way. The robin knew that he had to find the seal and raven, or else he would be all alone on this tiny island. He called for the seal in sadness, knowing, somehow, that the seal was nowhere near. He flew to the beach and saw the tracks in the sand, leading to the ocean. With dread, the robin realized that these were the seal's tracks, but then he noticed a larger line of displaced sand. He had heard about the seal's old father the walrus, but he never knew that he would want to take the seal back to the ice, where the seal did not belong.

The robin was scared of what might become of the seal, and where the raven was.

He called again, but this time to the raven in loneliness. He needed help.

Ch70

The raven stopped, mid flight, only a few meters from the bank of the island. Someone was calling him. Was it the seal? No, this voice was different. The raven flew back to the island, toward the sound. As he got closer, he realized that it was the robin calling him. He remembered that he had left the robin all alone in the nest with no one near. He needed the raven! The robin was his only friend left on the island, and he had to comfort the poor robin.

The robin was waiting by the bank, ready to show the raven something. The raven was so happy that he had the robin, that he almost didn't notice the anxiousness of the robin. He knew something was wrong, for the robin was close to tears. He showed the raven the tracks of the seal, and the bigger, longer tracks of the walrus, and the raven's heart shattered. Wrong filled the air, and dread filled the minds of the robin and raven as they thought that the seal had chosen the walrus over them.

Ch71

The ice is older than humans and the saber-tooth tigers, the long gone relatives of all current tigers. The ice remembers the time before it broke off from the rest to become the last of the great ice continent. The ice is old. But even the ancient ice cannot tell what is to come. Just as Fudge has a den that was not known to the ice itself.

Here is Budge, the fierce hunter, the brave hero. He did not want to leave his sad father. He wanted to stay and comfort him. He had to leave to hunt and keep them alive together. Silverwind had began moving and getting over his loss, but Budge still worried about him. He had realized that the world is scary and almost nothing is perfect. Budge had suddenly realized that his father had known this for longer than he. He continued his hunting to give him time to think. He had gone farther and farther in each hunt in search of prey. He had seen a small speck on the horizon that he assumed was a den. Budge had been trying to find out what it was, and he was sure it was a den, but to whom? This day, this hunt, he was going to find out. As he trekked to the mysterious den, he thought about his brother, Fudge, and the possibility of finding him. Fudge is alive, and Budge was sure of it.

Ch72

A walrus, cased in ice. What is to be said? This was punishment through magic. An old walrus, punished for his selfish acts of death and destruction. Why was the walrus here? The raven. The walrus hated the raven for taking away his son, then somehow freezing him in a block of ice. How could this have happened? The ice was breaking, and the walrus was ready.

The antarctic ice, as strong as Zeus, had caused the walrus to freeze, to be cased in ice. The raven and robin had flown to the old cave of the walrus, just the same as before their journey began. Nothing changed except the walrus. The walrus was a loving father, who told stories of ancient seas, and the old ways. Now he was evil; his loneliness and want for the seal had turned him to the "Dark Side". The world was flipped for the walrus, and the ice's magic had kept him contained. At least for a while.

Ch73

The robin flew from his makeshift nest above the cave, where the walrus used to live, but didn't anymore. Where he flew, he did not know. He only knew that he would find the walrus. He flew until his wings were sore, and then some. He was far from the ice, but he still thought he would find the walrus. No, poor robin, this is far from where the walrus dwells. This robin has flown a bit too far.

The ice was wonderfully cold, especially in the cold spring. The cold inspires anger and all the bad thoughts, even if it is not meant. The walrus was finally happy for a period of time, having the seal with him. The seal would not do anything, though, but look out at the open sea with longing. He had longing to find his friends and get away from the cold, and to discover new lands with new creatures. The walrus was keeping him away from everything else but him and the ice. The walrus thought that the seal would eventually turn back to normal. And the walrus was wrong.

Ch74

The White Tiger was annoying. The walrus, frozen in that small den, thought that the White Tiger's coming to look at him like dinner was annoying. This icy prison will not hold for much longer, and they both knew it. But the annoying White Tiger will be his dinner instead. There was still time, lots of time. The walrus thought of all the names he had. La morsa, by the Spanish explorers. Evil, by the Tribe of other tigers and the raven. But most of all, he remembered the name the seal had once given him, father. The seal was torn by loneliness, even more than the walrus himself, and changed by friendship. Why didn't he leave the seal alone? At least he would have been alive. The walrus' rash actions had caused the destruction of his son. Why did he do it?

Ch75

After calling and crying and searching 'till his body ached, the raven knew that the seal was not coming back. The truth was revealed, that the seal was gone forever. The seal was hidden away from everything else. He would be impossible to find. His friend was gone. There was another friend of the raven's, the robin. He called for the robin this time. Was he gone too? Why would he be gone? The raven needed to find him, needed to find his last friend, the last friend he has. He flew everywhere, but the robin was nowhere to be seen.

High above the clouds, the hummingbird watches the scene. It shines for a moment, then disappears. Help cannot be given, the raven is alone. The hummingbird has a message. A message of peace.

Ch76

Sometimes the White Tiger would be there, sometimes not. It was a dangerous game, for if he is there when the ice breaks, the Tiger is doomed. The walrus had never been hunted nor sought since the raven tried to take back the seal. Now, the White Tiger is hunting the walrus, guarding him until the ice breaks.

_Mistakes__. _the walrus thought, _Everyone__makes__mistakes__._

The White Tiger would make a mistake. But the walrus will as well. Why are there mistakes? If there were not mistakes, the world would be in ruin. Or it might be perfect. The walrus needs food. This icy prison will not hold for much longer, and when it breaks the walrus will unleash his anger. Revenge on the world for being unkind. Unkind to him.

Ch77

Fudge waited outside his den. He waited for something, a change in his lonely habits, perhaps? Why didn't anything happen? The only other living things were the prey he hunted. Night was falling, it was time for dinner. Fudge set out from his den to find some prey, the prey that made him lonely. Darkness was falling, not only in the sky, but also on Fudge's hope and spirit. Loneliness was everywhere. This was his life now, whether he liked it or not. The hummingbird was hovering above him again. Then, gone.

Budge was hunting as well, his mouth full of juicy meat for him and his father. He had reached the den that he had seen. It was unoccupied. The owner must have left for some reason. Hunting, perhaps? He would return some other time. Maybe he missed something? Budge left the den and headed home to his den for a long-deserved rest. Rest. That was what he needed.

Ch78

The ice, back a thousand years ago, knew that when the seal was trapped by the walrus, he began to die. Deprived from friendship and the will to live, he began fading away. Fading into air. He was taken away from what he loved most, taken away from his life. No one could live through such a hard time as the one the seal went through.

At first the walrus had thought, _He__will__be__alright__. __He__will__revert__back__to__normal__soon__enough__._ But when he came in in the morning to see if the seal would finally eat, he stopped immediately. His son, the one he had worked so hard to get back, was nearly gone. His thick skin was almost invisible. His body was fading away. Never should you deprive one of their friends and family, never. That is such a horrible thing to do. But the walrus did not know this.

Ch79

The ice knew, the moment the robin landed. It knew that the robin had flown too far. The weather was too nice, the sky so blue. The temperature was too warm. For a moment, the robin embraced this wonderful change. Then, the robin realized that this was not the climate where the walrus would be. Or the raven. Where was he? The different place seemed scary now, not so warm and friendly. The robin took a deep breath. He knew not the direction he had come from. He was lost.

The robin lifted into the sky once again. He scouted the area. Nothing was familiar. He asked a final question before floating back to the ground.

"Where am I?"

And with that, he flew down to the land to rest.

Ch80

Exactly a thousand years later, a young arctic fox asked the same question. "Where am I?" he had asked. Fudge was his name, and he was lost. Lost like the robin so many years ago. They had both embraced the change, thinking it was for the better. But they were both wrong. They both were lost. And that arctic fox, Fudge, missed those he loved most. His mother, whom he would never see again. His poor father and brother. They probably thought he was dead. Somehow, some way, Fudge had to go home. He had to see his family again. He had to, he promised.

Ch81

When the seal faded away, the walrus was angry instead of sad. He was mad that his son had left him again. He turned evil once more and began destroying and eating again. He was furious! He thought about the raven and how, to him, he was evil. Then he remembered a smaller bird with them, a robin. If he couldn't take his son, and he definitely couldn't take the raven, he would take the robin. He would train him to know the secrets of the ice, he would let him become his helper. The walrus transpired this idea in his own head. He would not let loss and loneliness overtake him again. Never.

Ch82

While the raven slept, almost all live creatures didn't stir. Almost nothing moved in the cold, icy air. Mist hovered over the scene, obscuring all vision and inducing slumber. For five long days, and five long nights, the raven slept alone. He slept in a dark, deep crevice where none could find him. When, at last, he did wake, he realized the length of his rest. This surprised him.

Then, the raven also realized he was alone. This was even more startling and surprising. He could not think straight, and he let the loneliness seep into him once again. The robin was gone. He was alone. Where was the robin? Where was the seal? And where was he?

Ch83

Fudge needed to escape. He needed to escape from this lonely place, this icy cave. He needed to escape from all the dangers of being alone. Maybe even escape this life. But no, he had to find his family. They didn't get eaten like his mother, had they? No, they had to be safe in their cave. They had to. Why couldn't Silverwind howl, or give a signal to state his location? Fudge didn't know. But he had to find them, and waiting in this cold, desolate cave. He needed to escape this den, but he also needed to find his father, and strong brother. He had to escape.

Far in the reaches of that same cave, that same solemn den, the walrus waits. He waits for the revenge he has stored to finally be released. He stirs, wishing the ice would break now, so he could eat that tiger that comes so often. The White Tiger. Where was he? He had not been there to look at him for months. He had to return soon, he must.

Ch84

Go back once more, a thousand years ago, to this very spot, in this very cave, to the time when the walrus was looking for the robin. He had searched far and wide, but he had had no luck. He was about to give up, but a piercing beak cut into his thick back. His spine was immobilized; he couldn't move.

"What did you do with him!" the raven asked angrily. Apparently the walrus was being blamed. The raven was gone? Why? Had he missed something? Or maybe this was all a mistake, and now the walrus could talk him into becoming his slave. But before the walrus could finish his nasty plots, the raven tore deeper into his skin. "Where is he?" He asked again, but this time weakly. Neither of them knew, and so the walrus kept silent. The raven used the last of his strength to throw the walrus against the wall, which began freezing around him. The ice worked the first of its tricks, shutting the walrus away for a thousand years.

Ch85

The White Tiger knew the walrus wanted him. He knew the walrus wanted to eat him. So why didn't he? Why didn't the walrus use his strength to break out of the ice? The White Tiger was waiting, and so was he. They could wait. This battle was yet to be won, and both sides were at a stop. For the moment. The White Tiger was coming home to the cave where the walrus lay, frozen. He was coming to the cave that he had claimed his so many years ago.

The very cave that, for now, harbored Fudge. The White Tiger was on his way. On his way to kill. Whether it be the walrus or the small arctic fox, the tiger was going to kill. Soon.

Ch86

Budge knew something was wrong. He knew something was about to happen that wasn't meant to be. Silverwind knew it, too. There was a chill in the air, like a dark evil about to emerge. Neither of them knew it yet, but that evil was the walrus. They did not even know of the walrus, they only knew of the evil, the wrong, in the air.

The ice was on its final string. One more day and it would break. One more day to wait. He could do it. The walrus could wait. He would not wait another minute, though. His first target was the White Tiger. Then, he would eat. He would eat for the first time in a thousand long years. He would wait.

Ch87

Fudge saw a character in the horizon. A four-legged creature that seemed to be so white it blended with the snow. What was this creature? It got closer and closer, until Fudge could see the thin black lines flowing down the side of this creature. Realization crept into him once more. The black lines where those of the beast that had killed his mother and forced him to live alone, separated from his family. It was coming back for him. Coming to kill him so he could drift off and be with his mother in the sky. He almost let himself just lay there, waiting to be taken. But something made him jump up and run. Run to nowhere. If he was to die, it would be looking for his family.

Ch88

The White Tiger saw Fudge running. He realized it was the arctic fox that had gotten away from him. He was in _his_ den! He watched as Fudge darted away across the antarctic snow. Straight through a blizzard with such determination and willpower that the White Tiger himself was almost scared. Almost. He was infuriated! He would not let this arctic fox get away from him again! He ran after Fudge, being careful to hang back at a safe distance so as not to be seen. The White Tiger wanted to see where the arctic fox was going. He would wait for the right time to strike. But now, he was on the silent run.

The ice had cracked. The walrus was ready. He saw the arctic fox dash away with much power and determination, but why? Then he saw. The White Tiger was chasing after him through a blizzard. They were almost out of sight when the walrus began sliding away on the ice. Free at last! But first, he had to get the White Tiger. The power in this old walrus was so great, that soon enough, he was tracking down the tiger that had annoyed him so much. _Soon__. __Soon__he__will__be__mine__!_

Ch89

The raven was waiting. He was waiting on the edge of the icy water for his life to leave him. He had no purpose to live. His best friend, the seal, was gone forever. His only other friend was the robin, and he had left him, disappeared. Never to be seen again. The force of the blow he gave the walrus was too powerful; it had cracked his beak, thus preventing him from eating any more food.

After days, months, and years, the hummingbird finally came. She came and said, "It is time." And the raven left this world, never to be seen again. The walrus had no one to take his anger out on.

Ch90

The robin had accepted. He had accepted the hummingbird's call. But before he disappeared forever, he left a message. A message of peace, a message of hope. A message to the one he hated most. To the walrus. And the message said this:

"There is fear, there is anger, there is revenge. But there is also hope. Among the strongest of feelings, there is hope for all of us. There is hope for life, and hope for peace. Yes, there is hope. Peace is among these feelings. Peace in your heart, and peace in life. Use these, walrus, and you will never be lonely, and you will never be sad. Use them and you will be happy."

And the hummingbird promised. She promised to take the message. Promised to give the walrus hope and peace. And the robin disappeared forever. Gone. Loneliness. There is too much of both of these.

Ch91

After the robin and the raven both faded away, with the seal long gone, the walrus waited in his solitary chamber. It had allowed no movement, and almost no vision. How could the walrus know that the group he despised had died? For a thousand years, the walrus had been planning to kill the raven for taking his son, the seal. How could he know that the hummingbird had been searching for him this whole time? He didn't know any of this. And that was the way it stayed for a thousand years. Until now, when the walrus made a turn to truth. The walrus' time had come.

Ch92

Budge was back from hunting, and Silverwind looked as dreary as ever. On the way back, Budge had seen three figures moving toward them. What were they and what did they want? Silverwind saw them as well and was looking at them, trying to growl. This did not look good. The figures were getting closer. And closer. And closer still. The first figure, the shape in front, appeared to be the distinctive form of an arctic fox. Fudge? Excitement crept into Budge; could this be the lost brother he had been looking for? It had to be. There was no mistaking it now, the figure in front was definitely Fudge. But the two behind him were three times his size, and both seemed to be hunting him. Budge had to help! But how? Silverwind saw Fudge, and the predators as well. Despite his sore throat, Silverwind howled. He howled a searing song, the song of anger and sadness. The last howl he could muster.

And Fudge heard him.

Ch93

Fudge was running. He was running from the beast that had killed his mother. He was running from death. He wanted to fight, to avenge his mother, but that would get him killed. There would be no one to avenge him. So Fudge was running away from the big white animal that seemed so fierce and bloodthirsty. He looked back and saw the beast running after him, but another, larger animal sliding toward them both. A walrus. Fudge had heard stories of ferocious walruses that would tear apart animal after animal, no matter the size or strength. This walrus looked three times as dangerous as the white beast he was originally running from. Then he heard it. The long cry of his father. The flowing song that he had waited so long for. _Oooooooo__!_ There it was. His beacon. His way back home.

Ch94

Silverwind had seen the attackers falter. He had seen them fall a few paces behind in bewilderment. But they kept coming. They kept charging at his son. Silverwind was furious! His throat was sore again, but he kept howling. He howled the howl of anger, of hope, of rising need. Fudge would not be taken from him again. Never. The tiger, the one who had broken his family in two, slowed to a stop and hid behind a snow drift, where all but Budge forgot about him.

Budge knew that his brother was coming home. But he also knew that the horrible beast that carried his mother away forever was hiding behind the snow drift. Fudge was coming home, but trouble was following him.

There was another. Another creature who hid in a snow drift. This pile of snow was larger, fit for a walrus like the creature itself. It was the walrus. And the walrus waits. He waits for the time to strike. He waits to see how things play out.

Ch95

The walrus was the watcher. He was the hidden specter, a lone creature among thousands of others. He watched as the small white fox joined his family just outside the tiny den. So happy, so joyful. The walrus had seen this before. He had seen this happen with the seal and the raven. He was beginning to have the thought that he should take his anger out on the arctic foxes, when a small rainbow appeared out of the air in front of the walrus. It was the hummingbird. What could she want with him? She had finally tracked him down. And she had a message. She told the walrus of the hope and peace and love that he had evaded his whole life. And the words reached the walrus, reached his heart. And he changed. He became a different being. He now knew of all the great things in the world, and that it was him who had destroyed his son, not the raven. Then the hummingbird spoke that these words were sent to him from the robin. And the walrus believed. But he also realized that the White Tiger was about to do the exact opposite of the truth the hummingbird spoke. Something must be done.

Ch96

Silverwind was oh so happy. His son had finally returned to him. Fudge was back. They nuzzled together and embraced the happiness that seemed to surround them. Budge was the only one who looked cautious of the snow bank where the White Tiger had disappeared behind. And the White Tiger himself knew that now was the time. Now. He would attack. But he had forgotten about the walrus just as the arctic foxes forgot about him. He did not know that right that instant, the walrus was watching him. The White Tiger waited one last moment for the happy family in front of him to turn away from his direction, and... He sprang! One leap and he was upon them. The happiness left the air; there was nothing happy about the scene unfolding at that moment. The White Tiger picked Fudge up in his jaws. Behold, the one who had escaped him once will not live to escape again. Budge crawled into the cave, which was now icy cold from the anger and evil in the air, and Silverwind attacked.

It was a mighty battle, but the White Tiger would not let Fudge out of his grasp. Both combatants had many gashes and bruises, but were both fighting hard. Silverwind swiped and nipped at the White Tiger's side, to afraid to attack his head for fear of hurting Fudge. The White Tiger did the same to Silverwind, and both fought until they were tired stiff. But the battle was not over. The White Tiger opened his jaws to finish the limp figure of the arctic fox pup that had ceased to struggle, for he knew the end was near.

Ch97

The walrus could not let this happen. He could not let everything he had evaded, truth, love, peace, and hope, get away from others who needed them. He had to stop the White Tiger from the terror he was causing. This arctic fox family needed to be together. The largest, supposedly the father, was fighting like this was his life. And it was. Another loss would destroy him. This family needed happiness, not loneliness. The walrus knew what loneliness felt like, and he did not want anyone to feel it again. The White Tiger had to be stopped.

The walrus took this opportunity when Silverwind growled at the White Tiger and distracted him for a moment to charge at the tiger. He did this with such speed that the White Tiger had no idea what happened. The walrus hit with full force and sent them both sprawling over the end of the icy cliff. They fell into the water with a large splash and sunk to the very bottom of the sea. What became of them is not known, and many antarctic animals say they drowned each other. But they were never seen again.

Epilogue

The story ends here. What happened to the family of foxes, Silverwind, Fudge, and Budge? They all grieved for the walrus, who saved them all from a life of pain and loneliness. And then they all lived happy lives of peace and happiness. There is always hope for those who believe there is. The walrus and the White Tiger did indeed drown themselves, but the walrus died knowing about hope and happiness and peace. And friendship. He realized that the seal was only doing what he had thought right, and that he, the walrus, had caused the destruction of his son. But now he knew the truth. Fudge, Budge and Silverwind all lived long lives of friendship and love. They also knew the truth, and Silverwind knew that there are losses, but there is always gains of prosperity and good for those that deserve it.

I, the author, kind of hate to say it, being the most common ending of a story, but...

THE END


End file.
